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WCAG 2.0 under fire in new research

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Controversial research has been published damning the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 as system for achieving equal access to the web for disabled users.

WCAG 2.0 is an internationally used set of criteria aimed at helping web professionals create content which is usable for everyone regardless of disability. WCAG 2.0 is being implemented by Australian federal and state and territory governments under the National Transition Strategy.

Digital media and technology: 

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Australia signs treaty to boost access to books

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People who are blind or vision impaired will have increased access to books and other print media after an international copyright treaty was signed. The treaty, signed by members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Morocco last week, will allow signatories to make exceptions to copyright laws within their country so that accessible alternative copies such as Braille, large print or audio books can be created.

To access print media, blind and vision impaired people require such as large print or audio alternatives to be made. Copyright laws often restrict the production of accessible copies of published works (printed or otherwise) and sharing these across organisations overseas.


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TV access expands in the UK

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The UK communications regulator Ofcom has released the list of channels which will be required to provide access services – captioning, audio description and signing – in 2014.

Each year, Ofcom reviews the audience share and revenue of television stations in the UK, and determines an appropriate level of access as set out in the ‘Ofcom Code on Television Access Services’. Most stations which have been broadcasting for ten years, and are required to provide the highest level of access, must broadcast 80% of their programs with captions (called subtitles in the UK), 10% with audio description and 5% with signing. However, some stations have voluntarily increased their levels.


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DisabilityCare: accessibility essential from the very beginning

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As the National Disability Insurance Scheme, DisabilityCare, launches, service providers need to be aware of the technology needs of people with disability. At the DisabilityCare conference this week, Media Access Australia presented on the need for service providers to harness mainstream technology if they want to attract customers in the new era of individual choice.

Our Service Providers Accessibility Guide, commissioned by the NDIS Practical Design Fund, aims to break down the myth that people with disability always require expensive specialist equipment to access information.

The quick reference guide contains information on:


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